Walmart is set to revolutionize the retail industry with its latest big announcement. This could be very beneficial for their business but spell trouble for their large pool of employees in the long run. Stay tuned to find out.
Walmart, the world’s largest retailer, has announced plans to automate 65% of its stores by 2026. The move follows persistent shortages of supply chain workers and is part of Walmart’s efforts to prioritize logistics innovations powered by both humans and technology. With the automation of these stores, Walmart hopes to improve costs per unit and create roles that require less physical labor but have a higher rate of pay.
Walmart is one of the largest private sector employers in the United States and currently has 1.6 million domestic associates.
CBS reporter Melissa Repko attended the Walmart investor event in Tampa Florida and this is what she had to say from the 2 day long event.
This move towards automation has sparked debate among many people about what it will mean for Walmart employees who are already facing job insecurity due to the pandemic-induced economic downturn.
The introduction of automated systems could potentially reduce labor costs for Walmart while also increasing efficiency in their operations. This could be beneficial for consumers as they would be able to access products faster and cheaper than before.
However, it could also lead to job losses if some positions become obsolete due to automation or if employees are replaced with machines that can do their jobs more efficiently or cost-effectively.
On the other hand, there are those who argue that automation could actually create new jobs rather than eliminate existing ones. For example, there may be an increased demand for engineers or technicians who can maintain and repair automated systems or develop new technologies that can further improve efficiency in warehouses or stores.
Additionally, there may be an increased need for customer service representatives who can help customers navigate automated systems or provide assistance when needed.
Furthermore, some experts believe that automation could actually lead to higher wages since companies would need fewer workers but would still need skilled professionals who can manage complex tasks such as programming robots or managing data analytics tools.
Here’s an example of some behind the scene automation that has already been implemented at walmart.
While Walmart’s plans to automate its stores, this should spark debate among many people about what this means for workers’ jobs security in light of the economic, it appears likely that this move towards automation will not completely replace human labor anytime soon since there are still many tasks which require human judgment and creativity which cannot be replicated by machines yet. The key word is yet. Let’s keep a look out for this type of news.
Let’s continue this conversation, in the comments below.
